Auto · County · Washington
Auto repair shops in Whatcom County, WA
The auto repair shops in Whatcom County, WA, the household spending behind them and how the market ranks against other counties.
Groundwork market score · out of 100
Score 73 out of 100: Upper middle
Ranked #259 of 2,378 scored counties
#20 of 33 scored counties in Washington
- Listings
- 163
- 34 chain locations (21%)
- Official establishments
- 97
- 0.0% since 2019
- Household spending a year
- $104.7M
- On vehicle maintenance and repairs · $1,113 a household
- Spending per listing
- $642K
- 44% above the U.S.
- Listings per 10k households
- 17.3
- 20% below the U.S.
- Population, 2025
- 236,392
- +3.9% since 2020
See the auto repair shops around any address in Whatcom County
The site report maps the auto repair shops on map listings near the address, by name and distance, and sizes the households and spending around it. Or open the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardSurvey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure
What this means
Households in Whatcom County spend about $104.7M a year on vehicle maintenance and repairs, or $1,113 per household, 16% above the U.S. average. That is about $642K of household spending for each shop on map listings, 44% above the U.S. figure of $445K. The spending figure covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, not only auto repair shops.
There are 163 auto repair shops on map listings in Whatcom County as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 21% of them, against 16% across the U.S. That comes to 17.3 for every 10,000 households, 20% below the U.S. rate of 21.5.
The official count of businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Whatcom County was 97 in 2023, unchanged from 2019. That is one for every 969 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. Official counts also show 125 one-person businesses without payroll. Since fiscal 2022, 5 SBA-backed loans worth $3.4M have gone to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Whatcom County.
Population estimates put the population change in Whatcom County from 2020 to 2025 at +3.9%, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). For auto repair shops, Whatcom County has a Groundwork market score of 73 (upper middle): #259 of 2,378 scored counties and #20 of 33 scored counties in Washington. That puts it in the top quarter of counties.
How Whatcom County compares
The same measures for Washington and the whole U.S. Spending per listing divides a year of household spending on all vehicle maintenance and repairs by the auto repair shops counted, so it measures the demand for each competitor, not any business’s revenue. Households per establishment does the same with the official count.
| Measure | Whatcom County | Washington | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listings per 10k households | 17.3 | 16.4 | 21.5 |
| Spending per listing | $642K | $672K | $445K |
| Households per official establishment | 969 | 1,073 | 955 |
| Official establishment growth, 2019–2023 | 0.0% | +1.1% | +2.1% |
| Population growth, 2020–2025 | +3.9% | +3.6% | +3.1% |
| Spending per household on vehicle maintenance and repairs | $1,113 | $1,104 | $958 |
| Median household income | $81,784 | $98,141 | $80,734 |
| Groundwork market score | 73 | 81 |
Official counts and lending
Businesses
- Official establishments, 2019 to 2023
- 97 → 970.0% over the period
- Employees, 2023
- 657
- Annual payroll, 2023
- $40.6M
- One-person businesses, 2023
- 125Businesses with no payroll
- Map listings, September 2026
- 16334 chain locations
- Listings at the U.S. rate for this spending
- 235The U.S. ratio of listings to household spending, applied here
SBA-backed loans since fiscal 2022
- Loans
- 5
- Amount
- $3.4M
SBA-backed loans to businesses classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in Whatcom County, through June 2026, placed by the borrower’s ZIP code. Official establishments are businesses with payroll; the official counts leave out places with fewer than 3.
Population and households in Whatcom County
- Population, 2025 estimate
- 236,392+3.9% since 2020
- Households
- 94,021
- Median age
- 39.9
- Homes lived in by their owners
- 64%
- Vehicles per household
- 2.0
- Land area
- 2,108 sq. mi.
- People per square mile
- 109
- Median household income
- $81,784+29.9% vs. 2015–2019, before inflation
- Average household income
- $109,611
- Median home value
- $585,800
- Jobs located here
- 90,570
- Daytime population
- 221,278Residents who don’t work, plus everyone whose job is here
Looking at a specific site in Whatcom County?
These figures cover the whole county. A site report draws rings around one address and counts what’s inside them: households, spending, jobs, and the auto repair shops on map listings by name and distance.
Or open the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
Free10 actions over 3 days, no cardAuto repair shops across Washington
Every Washington market ranked →The highest-scoring counties in Washington for auto repair shops, numbered among those based in Washington, with Whatcom County marked.
Top counties in Washington
| Market | Score | Listings | Per 10k households | Spending per listing | Population growth | U.S. rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Douglas County, WA | 96 | 20 | 12.6 | $1M | +8.0% | #2 of 2,378 |
| 2Klickitat County, WA | 94 | 11 | 11.1 | $1.1M | +6.6% | #6 of 2,378 |
| 3Pend Oreille County, WA | 91 | 10 | 16.8 | $734K | +7.1% | #16 of 2,378 |
| 4Mason County, WA | 90 | 37 | 14.2 | $903K | +7.8% | #19 of 2,378 |
| 5San Juan County, WA | 89 | 9 | 10.0 | $1.2M | +4.2% | #25 of 2,378 |
| 6Pacific County, WA | 84 | 10 | 9.1 | $1.2M | +3.6% | #53 of 2,378 |
| 7Jefferson County, WA | 83 | 18 | 11.0 | $986K | +2.7% | #67 of 2,378 |
| 8Kitsap County, WA | 81 | 147 | 13.5 | $875K | +2.7% | #95 of 2,378 |
| 9Benton County, WA | 81 | 136 | 17.4 | $660K | +6.9% | #103 of 2,378 |
| 10Kittitas County, WA | 81 | 37 | 18.5 | $642K | +4.2% | #105 of 2,378 |
| 20Whatcom County, WA | 73 | 163 | 17.3 | $642K | +3.9% | #259 of 2,378 |
Other business types in Whatcom County
Each with its Groundwork market score here, out of 100, where it has one.
Food and drink
Groceries and convenience
Auto
Beauty and personal care
Fitness and classes
Health care
Child care
Clothing and laundry
Home services
Real estate
Funeral services
Questions
How many auto repair shops are in Whatcom County, WA?
As of September 2026, map listings count 163 auto repair shops in Whatcom County. 34 of them (21%) are chain locations. The listings count general, specialty, body and glass repair shops. Official counts show 97 businesses with payroll classed as mechanical, body and glass repair in 2023, unchanged from 2019. Another 125 one-person businesses have no payroll, by official counts.
How much do households in Whatcom County, WA spend on vehicle maintenance and repairs?
About $104.7M a year, or $1,113 per household. That is 16% above the U.S. average (an index of 116, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 163 auto repair shops on map listings, it comes to $642K per shop. That spending covers all vehicle maintenance and repairs, which auto repair shops share with other businesses in the trade. It is estimated from the incomes of the 94,021 households in Whatcom County and national spending patterns by income.
How does Whatcom County, WA compare with the U.S. for auto repair shops?
Whatcom County has 17.3 auto repair shops per 10,000 households, 20% below the U.S. rate of 21.5. Spending per shop is $642K, 44% above the U.S. figure of $445K. At the U.S. ratio of auto repair shops to household spending, Whatcom County would have about 235, against 163 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 969 households, against one for every 955 across the U.S. The official count held level from 2019 to 2023, against +2.1% for the U.S.
How fast is Whatcom County, WA growing?
Population estimates put Whatcom County at 236,392 people in 2025, up 3.9% since 2020, faster than the U.S. (+3.1%). It has 94,021 households. Median household income in Whatcom County is $81,784, in line with the U.S. median of $80,734. Against the 2015–2019 survey, the median rose 29.9%, before inflation.
What is the Groundwork market score?
The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. Whatcom County scores 73 for auto repair shops (upper middle), #259 of 2,378 scored counties.
How can I see the market around a specific site?
Run a Groundwork site report on an address in Whatcom County. It maps the auto repair shops on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.
How the score works · Top markets for auto repair shops · All 56 business types in Whatcom County
Screening a site or an acquisition in Whatcom County?
A site report maps the competitors on map listings near an address and sizes the households and spending around it.
The button opens the report at the center of Whatcom County. Signed out, you see a blurred preview; on an account, each report is one action.
This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.